Logistics as a driver of international trade: An industry-level analysis

The growth of global trade in the last few decades and a more active involvement of countries in trade flows and supply chains have highlighted logistics as one of the most important trade facilitation factors. However, the question is who benefits the most from logistics. The paper aims to examine the contribution logistics make to the promotion of exports and imports in the selected industries in the OECD countries, the evaluation and comparison of the importance of logistics performance depending on the specific sector and product characteristics. Panel regression modelling was employed to evaluate the impact of logistics on international trade. The findings reveal its importance in international trade at the industry level. The results indicate a special contribution of logistics to the stimulation of the trade of industrial products and time-sensitive goods, with a greater contribution to imports. These findings emphasize the special importance of a logistics system and related operations in the identified sectors.